


The Poseidonia

by eatingchocolate25



Category: Atlantis (UK TV)
Genre: Atlantis Secret Santa, Dionysus is mentioned, M/M, The Poseidonia, Winter Solstice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 02:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2834708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eatingchocolate25/pseuds/eatingchocolate25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter Solstice has arrived in Atlantis, causing the arrival of the Poseidonia, a 16 day long feast-festival dedicated to Poseidon and Aphrodite. Pythagoras was sure to enjoy this years' festivities now Jason was in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Poseidonia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [girlwhowasntthere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlwhowasntthere/gifts).



> Done as a part of the Atlantis Secret Santa 2014. Hope you enjoy it. I really enjoyed learning about how Paganism influenced Christmas and I'll tell you all about it soon. I also enjoyed writing fluffy Jagoras a little too much. Whoops.  
> Merry Christmas (Or Happy Poseidonia).  
> Hope you enjoy it.  
> Some things I mentioned that won't be familiar to people who don't study Classics will be explained in the notes section at the end.

The Poseidonia was Pythagoras’ favourite festival by far.

The festival happened every winter solstice in the month Poseideon and was dedicated to Poseidon, Atlantis’ patron god, and consisted of 16 days of feasting followed by a ritual for Aphrodite. The huge feast was prepared by Queen Ariadne’s kitchen staff and could feed the whole population of Atlantis and Thebes put together for all 16 days. He was glad it was happening because it meant 16 days of not having to worry about how the three men were going to find the money to feed themselves or how to make the three day old loaf of bread tasty. Instead he could let Hercules go off and feast to his heart content without worrying too much about any consequences.

Having Jason at the festival for the first time was an interesting experience, to say the least. He had spent the last 15 days walking around with a look of awe on his handsome features. It was clear as day that Jason had never experienced the Poseidonia from wherever he came from. Pythagoras couldn’t help but wonder where Jason came from. Pythagoras knew it wasn’t anywhere Achaean because all Achaean states had the Poseidonia, a festival that Jason knew nothing about before Pythagoras explained it to him. Pythagoras remembered fondly Samos’ attempt at the festival. It wasn’t quite as good as Atlantis’ but it was still impressive. How far did Jason travel to arrive in Atlantis? What was his homeland like? What festivals did they have? Did they worship the Olympian gods? Those were some of the things Pythagoras desperately wanted to know about his lover but Jason was stubbornly refusing to disclose the information. Maybe one day Jason would tell him.

Until then he was willing to enjoy the final day of the Poseideon. That day was dedicated to Aphrodite and consisted of...flirting.

The task Aphrodite put to them was to spend the whole day flirting with someone, teasing them and trying to convince them to perform Aphrodite’s favourite act. It was convenient that Pythagoras had Jason this year to keep him company cause he definitely did not want a repeat of last year’s awkward flirting with one of the palace guards that ended in a lengthy discussion about bean plants and absolutely no sex. This year theoretically should be successful.

Of course, Hercules was a problem this year. Usually he would go off and woo another poor unsuspecting maiden but he was still grieving for his lost love Medusa so he couldn’t participate fully. Instead he was third-wheeling Jason and Pythagoras, stopping the two from fulfilling Aphrodite’s expectations. Pythagoras felt bad for Hercules but surely Hercules should understand the goddess’ demands were important.

“It’s strange how the Queen is allowed to be excused from the festivities.” Hercules commented, eating his fourth loaf of bread. She arrived every morning to preside over the hecatomb sacrifice dedicated to Poseidon and the rest of the Olympian gods that happened on the altar of Poseidon outside Poseidon’s temple. After the sacrifice happened, she excused herself to participate in another festival.

“She is participating in Dionysus’ festivities.” Jason replied. He was staring at the palace courtyard with wide eyes. Ariadne’s servants had done a fantastic job of turning the courtyard into a place fit for a feast for the whole population of Atlantis. There were plenty of wooden benches and tables full of the most appetising meats, cheeses, breads, honeyed wines and fruits Pythagoras had tasted in his life. There was also a corner left untouched by the benches and tables, left alone for revelry and music. The palace bard was situated there. The servants had placed candles in every nook and cranny in the courtyard. Some of them were unscented but others were scented like flowers or sea spray. The scents of sea spray, honeyed wine, flowers, meats, burnt flesh and breads mingled together, producing a strange smell that haunted the whole city. Pythagoras wasn’t keen on the smell at all.

“Doing what?” Hercules spoke, chewing on a chunk of the loaf.

“Becoming a maenad and running around in the woods. She is obliged to, what with being the great god’s wife.” Pythagoras told Hercules.

“It’s so sweet how she found Dionysus. He makes her so happy.” Jason grinned clearly thinking about how one of his closest friends found her true love. The god turned up out of the blue, disguised as a handsome stranger with an unnatural obsession with cat furs and stayed with Jason, Pythagoras and Hercules for a few weeks. He came with them on their adventures, helping them survive the quest by making the beasts and people who tried to kill them mad with his godly powers. When Dionysus and Ariadne first met, both Jason and Pythagoras agreed that the two of them were perfect for each other and matchmade them together while Hercules was getting drunk on Dionysus’ wine. Their plan was successful and Ariadne and Dionysus were soon happily married.

“You know, it could have been you!” Hercules told Jason.

“Marrying Dionysus? He’s not my type. Too godly.” Jason joked.

“No, I mean the Queen.” Hercules rolled his eyes.

“Nah. I love her as a friend and nothing more. We wouldn’t make each other happy and I’d be a terrible king. I’m happy anyway with Pythagoras.” Jason smiled at Pythagoras and squeezed his hand. Pythagoras could feel his heart swelling in the familiar emotion of happiness  and a lovesick smile blossoming on his face. Jason has such beautiful eyes. From afar one would think that they were just brown but Pythagoras knew better. There were little flecks of sea green in his eyes and Pythagoras was so tempted to count them, hoping the number was divisible by three just to make Jason even more perfect in Pythagoras’ eyes. Before he knew it, he was leaning toward Jason, his lips a few centimetres away from Jason’s.

“Gods you two are disgustingly romantic.” Hercules grumbled, looking at the two of them in distaste. The two parted slightly. “I already miss the insufferable triangle ramblings. They were more interesting than ‘Jason has such glossy hair’.” Hercules tried to imitate Pythagoras’ voice but epically failed.

“He’s drunk.” Jason deadpanned. Pythagoras rolled his eyes at such an obvious statement.

“That is pretty obvious. He is always drunk after all.”

“Oh I know.” Jason replied, inching closer to Pythagoras until there was only a centimetre between them.

“Gods, just go home and leave me in peace you insufferably loved up boys.” Hercules grunted and carried on shoving more food into his mouth.

“Would you be alright on your own?” Pythagoras asked, slightly worried for his friend. He knew Hercules was nursing a broken heart with Dionysus’ magical wine. He knew well enough that Hercules shouldn’t consume too much wine otherwise strange things would start to happen.

“Yes I will. Hurry up before a monster turns up or someone goes missing and your boyfriend goes all hero-like and starts a quest.” Hercules told Pythagoras, sending Jason a pointed look to try and discourage him from becoming heroic. Pythagoras clasped Jason’s hand and practically dragged him through the empty streets home, kissing him with fervour every few houses. The travel home took at least five times as long as it would have if they walked at a leisurely pace. The kisses were so addictive and passionate and worth the extra time they spent out on the streets kissing. If only Pythagoras could spend the rest of his life with his lips attached to Jason’s. But, alas, that wasn’t possible because Jason did have to fulfill that ambiguously great destiny that the Oracle reminded Jason he had to fulfill every time he saw her, and Pythagoras had to crack the puzzle of the common triangle. The triangle was such an interesting shape and one day Pythagoras was going to unlock its secrets.

Was Pythagoras actually thinking about triangles while kissing Jason? Hercules was right, he was too obsessed with the three sided shape. Maybe instead of thinking about triangles, he could focus on the task at hand- opening the door to their home so he could fulfill Aphrodite’s expectations with Jason.

Once the door was open, he and Jason quickly shed their clothes and found themselves on Pythagoras’ bed (it was bigger) where they satisfied their desires (and the whole point of the 16th day of the Poseidonia).

**~0~**

Waking up with Jason’s arms around his body was a pleasant experience.

The other man radiated warmth. It was so comfortable that Pythagoras didn’t feel like moving. He loved watching Jason in the morning. He was in a deep sleep with his lips slightly open and he looked so adorable. His skin was soft too. So soft that Pythagoras started drawing patterns on Jason’s skin with his fingers. Pythagoras wanted to kiss him so much. Which he did. Which woke Jason up. Who started a morning makeout session. That turned into lazy morning sex, Pythagoras’ favourite type.

Pythagoras really did love the Poseidonia. Especially this year’s festivities with the love of his life at his side.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it.  
> The Poseidonia happened around the time of Winter Solstice and originally was 16 days long but extended to 2 months by the Athenians (it's always the Athenians) cause it was so popular. Feasts every day dedicated to Poseidon and the final day was dedicated to Aphrodite and Poseidon because he was a massive slut who had more kids than Zeus and they wanted to celebrate that fact. We aren't exactly sure what happened on the last day (apart from the obvious and even then it's ambiguous cause we haven't a clue with whom) so I improvised a bit.  
> Poseideon is the month in the Attic calendar that is reserved for Winter Solstice. It's part of December and January.  
> The Attic calendar is used in Athens and started on the month Hecatombeon (Julyish). Every Greek city had their own calendar and I used this one cause Athens is the metropolis and Atlantis is painted to be one too by Plato and the show.   
> Hecatomb is an animal sacrifice of 100 oxen. If you want to know the particular details of an animal sacrifice, inbox me on Tumblr. (rushiwick). That goes for pretty much anything you want to know about Roman and Greek societies, especially the Greeks.  
> Achaean is Greek but a more historically accurate way of saying it.  
> Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, water, bulls, horses, Corinth, Crete and Atlantis. Son of Kronos and Rhea and brother of Zeus and father of too many people including Theseus (Ariadne's dickhead ex) and Triton.  
> Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, sex, pearls, doves, mirrors, Rhodes and sexually active women. She's either the daughter of Zeus and Dione or she was born after Ouranous was castrated, pouring semen on the sea and creating sea foam where she was born from (Aphrodite literally translates as sea foam). Married to Hephaestus (the blacksmith god) but was not so secretly shagging his brother Ares, god of war.  
> Dionysus is the god of wine, vine, ivy, drama, revelry, fertility, ecstasy, madness, dolphins, Thebes and cat furs. He's the son of Zeus and Semele (look up the birth story, it's great). He married Ariadne (look up the story, it's no surprise I ship them so much after all that).  
> I probably missed something out so inbox me if you need clarification.


End file.
